Driving Adoption

In this chapter we are going to examine how to create a comprehensive plan for driving users to adopt the new SharePoint solution. As with so many other aspects of governance, you will see that adoption planning is a continuous process that feeds back upon itself, as shown in Figure 5-1.

Figure 5-1. Driving adoption

To persuade anyone to do anything the first step is to communicate. In this case, you need to communicate the value of the new system to the prospective users. This includes creating awareness of the solution and its features and the benefits it will bring to individuals and the business as a whole. To some extent this is a simple statement of facts but it also has to include elements of salesmanship or cheer leading. It is not enough that users simply know the system exists; they have to want to use it.

This communication creates engagement within the user community. The next step is to turn that engagement into a desire to build skills around the solution. SharePoint is a web-based solution and is, therefore, quite simple to use if all the user is doing is reading information. However, if the user is going to truly leverage the system and create value, they will need a somewhat deeper understanding of how the system can benefit them.

These skills empower the user to contribute content and grow the solution. As the portal and its content expand and become a more integral part of the company's fabric, it will need to evolve and respond to the needs of the users as they change. This is the point at which collecting and respecting user feedback becomes critical. The governance team will use this information to update the services offered by the portal and the policies and standards that go into governing it.

To achieve this type of positive feedback loop, the governance team needs to establish plans for communicating with, providing timely and effective training to, and supporting end users as they adopt the solution provided. We will examine some possible strategies and tactics for making this happen. We will also show you how to create a formal communication plan and design a training program that will support the adoption effort.